Prison of Me - Proverbs 5

Please Click & Read
Proverbs 5

"For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness." vs. 21-23

These are hard words.  Each of us knows we are a sinner.  Each of us knows we are the worst of sinners.  How long will I be held captive by my own selfishness?  Will I die from lack of self-control?  What a statement.  

We see this happen time and time again.  Death from addiction, death from poor decisions, even suicide could be considered a lack of self-control. What harsh truth lies in these few verses.

A few years ago I was in a deep place because I felt that everything around me was becoming out of MY control until the Spirit suddenly snapped me back screaming, "It's not about you!"  I became angry with myself for allowing all the hurt others were feeling to turn my heart toward selfishness rather than compassion.  Yes, I had lost all control - all my self-control.  And then I realized I was trapped.  My selfishness was holding me captive, my self-pity had become the ropes that caught and held me.  Then I wrote these lyrics:

PRISON OF ME

My mind becomes a lonely place

When I’m the only one consuming my own grace

I only see myself, forgetting my own face

I dwell on that and nothing else but this solitary place

     So what? What if? If only…

     These are the bars that cage me

     It’s them, not me. No really!

     These are the chains that enslave me

I know I can’t run, I know I can’t hide

Secluded in exile with me, myself, and I

So here I am, restless and desperate and ready to scream!

Trapped in this prison of me.

Trapped inside my mind;

Decide the world is blind

I’m isolated, jilted and jaded

     Why me? Why now? Who sees me?

     These are the poisons that plague me.

     Who cares? Who’s there? Oh tell me,

     How can I ever be free?  

I know I can’t run, I know I can’t hide

Secluded in exile with me, myself, and I

So here I am, restless and desperate and ready to scream!

Trapped in this prison of me.

Click to Enlarge

Lord, I know I must continually ask for your forgiveness because I continually sin. Please increase my wisdom. Please increase my self-control.  Please free me from myself and save me...Oh, wait...you've already done that.  Praise be the Name of Jesus. Amen.


Chapter 5 Survival Skills:
Discernment - vs. 2
Self Defense - vs. 3-6, 8-14
Offensive Maneuvers - 15-23
Training - all of chapter 5 is addressed to the next generation, 5 & 7

Just Do What You're Told! - Proverbs 4

Please Click & Read
Proverbs 4


In my house I say, "Don't touch that." They touch.  I say, "Be quiet." They keep yelling. I say, "Be careful with that." They make a mess. I say, "Settle down." They just keep rough-housing. I say, "Please do this." They do that. I say, "Please come here." They go there.
Yes, the frustrations that come with having children are numerous.  The fact that they tend to have selective hearing (sounds so much nicer than to admit your children actually ignore you) is just one of them. Solomon says in vs. 10-13,

"My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. 

When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble. 

Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life."

Ah, the promises of a long and good life. Do I promise my children such a thing? Or do they only see me threatening them with a disgruntled, unhappy life if they do not obey?  
There was a time in my life where the goal I had for my children was that they would be obedient.  I was very hard-pressed on them to behave as I wanted them to behave. I wanted them to do what they were told. Then an amazing thing happened.  I was convicted that all I was doing was teaching them how to behave and not teaching them why. At first, the reason I wanted them to behave was so that they looked good, so that I looked good.  Now, I realize I must teach them to obey so that GOD looks good.  

I must teach them to love and serve God not only with their behavior, but with their lives. I must teach my children wisdom's ways and lead them in straight paths.  So when they walk, they won't be held back; when they run, they won't stumble.  And yes, this does looks like obedience but for a different cause - not my cause but for the cause of Christ.

Click to Enlarge

I pray my children will take hold of my instructions and not let them go.  I must teach them to guard them so that they will have the key to life.  So they know my instructions are worthy of being followed and if they do so then they will have the promises of a good, long life - an ETERNAL LIFE!

Chapter 4 Survival Skills:
Discernment - vs. 6-9
Self Defense - vs. 14-19, 23-27
Offensive Maneuvers 
Training - all of chapter 4 is addressed to the next generation, 1-5, 10-13, 20-22

Common Sense - Proverbs 3

Please Click & Read
Proverbs 3


My child, my child.  Over and over again we read plea after plea for the next generation to heed this wisdom.  In chapter three alone there is verse upon verse of these profound statements - each made to encourage a child into righteousness.  Basic instructions such as, "Never let loyalty and kindness leave you...Don't be impressed with your own wisdom...Honor the Lord with your wealth, and Do not withhold good from those who deserve it," are woven throughout this chapter.

Here is one for your consideration: vs. 21-26

"My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul.They are like jewels on a necklace.

They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble.

You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.

You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction 

that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security. 

He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap."

Why do they call it common sense?  Is it really all that common?  Wouldn't a better word for it be valuable sense?  Isn't that what you don't want to loose sight of, your valuables?  Common questions like, "Can you watch my bag?"  or, "Can you keep an eye on my kids?" imply that you value what is there and do not want it to wonder off or to become lost.  So, Solomon must have truly valued common sense to plead with his child to not lose sight of it, so much so he compared it and discernment to, "jewels on a necklace." 

I think Solomon is warning us that with common sense and like so many other valuable things - we must protect it.  Why else do we lock up our assets in safety deposit boxes or purchase insurance for our vehicles, homes and even ourselves?  We are protecting them.  To protect them is...common sense, right?

Click to Enlarge

So how do we use this valuable common sense God gave us?  Well, this passage tells us that we need not fear if we have it.  It will help keep us safe and secure as will the Lord.  It astounds me that something so simple as common sense carries such weight.  Wouldn't you think that you'd need weapons, or wealth, or even storehouses of wisdom to feel safe and secure?  But if you really think about it - using the plain 'ol common sense God gave you can help you can indeed keep you out of a whole heap of trouble - from, "your foot being caught in a trap!"

Here is one more piece of "valuable sense" that we find in today's chapter,"My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights."

Now I do think it takes a lot more than common sense to uphold this very hard instruction.  But consider this, If we are to train the next generation into wisdom, we aught to consider how the Lord deals with us.  We are not free form discipline and correction and neither should our children be.  Our relationship with our children is a pre-cursor to their own relationship with God.  If they do not accept discipline and correction from us, they will surely reject it from the Lord.  Love your children, teach them, train them in righteousness, and yes discipline them according to God's standards - this in turn will ultimately cultivate in them...common sense.


Chapter 3 Survival Skills:
Discernment - vs. 13-20
Self Defense - vs. 3-8, 21-26
Offensive Maneuvers - vs. 9-12, 27-35
Training - vs. 1, 11 & 21 addresses the entire chapter to the next generation, vs. 11-12

SIGN ME UP! - Proverbs 2

Please Click & Read:
Proverbs 2

Click to Enlarge

If we indeed are on a exploration for wisdom, to be truly successful we must know why we have chosen this quest.  To go about anything you do without some purpose or understanding of the value of that thing - is it really even worth doing in the first place?  So to avoid the quicksand of doubt and lack of ambition, we find in this chapter the benefits to why we are on this quest - why we choose to seek out God's wisdom.


Here's a break down of the benefits:
1. Understand what it means to fear the Lord
2. Gain the knowledge of God
3. Wisdom & Understanding is from the Lord
4. You will understand what is right, just, and fair
5. Wisdom and Knowledge bring you joy and safety
6. Protection from evil and darkness
7. Salvation from immorality and temptation
8. You will remain in the presence of the Lord

SIGN ME UP!  I desire nothing more on this journey of physical existence than to know the Lord my God and what it is to revere Him.  I am truly humbled to know that He would choose to grant me His knowledge and wisdom to know what is right, to bring my joy, to save me from evil and temptation, so that I may remain in His presence.  But yet, how foolish of me to think that He has given all this to ME.  He grants these wonders to me so that He may be glorified THROUGH me.  He expects me not only to use these gifts myself, but to show others how to do the same. Solomon addresses these instructions to his child.  Lord, encourage and empower me to ask for Your wisdom and to also share it with my children. Hoarding the resources He's given me might be a way to survive, but is surely no way to LIVE!  


Chapter 2 Survival Skills:
Discernment - vs. 2-11
Self Defense - vs. 12-19
Offensive Maneuvers - vs. 20-22
Training - vs. 1 addresses the entire chapter to the next generation

An Exploration; A Quest - Proverbs 1

Please Click & Read:
PROVERBS 1


WOW! How have I never noticed that the first section of Proverbs is an actual explanation of the purpose of this book? I can already tell this will be an eye-opening experience for me. 

Vs. 1-5 (emphasis mine)

"Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.

Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,to help them do what is right, just, and fair.

These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young. 

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance

by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,the words of the wise and their riddles."

Sounds like everyone can benefit from these words.  Insight to the simple? Wouldn't that be a blessing to all of humanity?!  Knowledge and discernment to the young?  Wouldn't that change the course of history through a single generation?! And HOW do we do this: By, "exploring the meaning," of these passages.  That means we must do more than read them.  We must examine them as we journey with them; we must take them on a quest.  The kind of quest that is full of life-changing adventure. 


Along the way we will learn survival skills such as identifying the healing nature of wisdom from the poisonous fruit of foolishness.  We will know how to dodge the firey darts of temptation and how when struck, to acquire the antidote of humility which counteracts the venom of wickedness. We will learn to battle the beast of selfishness with the unfailing weapons of righteousness and truth.  And most importantly, we will learn the skills needed to train the next generation to complete their own quest with strength, dignity, and VICTORY!


Now that sounds like an adventure.